Rodrigues playing his ‘best games of the year’ in playoffs for Panthers

BOSTON – Evan Rodrigues is heating up.

With two helpers on Sunday night, the physical and speedy winger played a major role in helping the Florida Panthers erase a 2-0 deficit in their 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 at TD Garden.

Thanks to that win, the Panthers now hold a 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Second Round.

Coming off a two-goal performance in Game 3 -- including a power-play goal – Rodrigues, who’s reached speeds up to 22.75 mph in the playoffs, per NHL Edge -- is playing arguably his best hockey of the season.

“I think that those are his two best games (Games 3 and 4) of the year for us,” head coach Paul Maurice said following this morning’s media availability in Boston. “I also think his best hockey was played as soon as he went with (Eetu) Luostarinen and (Anton) Lundell. Then with Sam Bennett's injury we didn't get to see it, but I think Evan is the kind of guy that can elevate his play in the playoffs. He’s a really good skater and he looks like with that line he's getting into a lot of holes and getting pretty good offense off.”

Through nine playoffs games with the Panthers, Rodrigues, who was inked to a savvy four-year deal as a free agent this past summer, has already registered six points (three goals, three assists), 20 shots on goal, 29 hits, three takeaways and, when called upon in certain situations, won 64.3% of his faceoffs.

A versatile player, he ranks seventh in points, fifth in goals and sixth in shots among Florida’s skaters.

“I thought I've played pretty good,” said Rodrigues. “I think our line as a whole has been really good. Luosty (Luostarinen) and Lundy (Lundell) have been playing great. We've been line matched against, or they've been looking to line match against us, and I thought we took advantage of that match up. I think going into the games, we thought we could win it, and we did a really good job of going out there and executing.”

Per NaturalStatTrick.com, the Rodrigues-Lundell-Luostarinen line controlled a team-best 71.43% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 throughout Game 4 while also owning a 7-2 edge in shots on goal against the Bruins.

A former star at Boston University, it’s extra special for him to play so well in his old stomping grounds.

“I always love playing at TD Garden,” said Rodrigues, who put up 121 points (42 goals, 79 assists) over four seasons with the Terriers. “Going back to college, I've had some success in that building. It's always nice coming back here. The crowd is always electric, and I have a lot of fun playing in that building.”

In addition to his offense, Rodrigues has also brought invaluable experience to the Panthers.

As a veteran of nearly 500 regular-season games and in the midst of his fourth straight trip to the playoffs – his previous trips coming with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche – the 30-year-old forward knows what it takes to stay calm, cool and collected when the spotlight is the brightest.

His message to his teammates?

Enjoy the moment.

“You got to embrace it,” said Rodrigues. “I think that's the biggest thing. You can't get uptight. You can't get nervous. You got to have fun. You got to love the intensity of an away crowd and you just got to have fun with what you're doing. I think that's when you play your best hockey, is when you're enjoying the moment, playing in the moment, and just loving every second of it.”

Looking ahead, Rodrigues and the Panthers will look to add another major moment to their playoff run when they attempt to eliminate the Bruins in Game 5 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

For tickets, click here.

“Excited to get back in front of our crowd with an opportunity to close out the series,” said Rodrigues. “The elimination games are usually the hardest. That’s when they’re going to be pushing the most. We have to be prepared to match that intensity.”